1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to electronic equipment, such as computers, and, more particularly, to apparatus for managing cable systems used for rack-mounted components.
2. Background Information
Electronic systems such as computers are typically constructed in a modular fashion. Large systems may include several components (e.g., computer systems, servers) installed in a rack. Electronic elements of a component are commonly housed in an enclosure.
Racked computer and network systems require occasional maintenance and repair in order to achieve service with high reliability and availability. Many modem racked systems are very dense. Access to serviceable modules is often at the front or rear faces, but may also be on top, side, and/or bottom faces. Service faces that are not accessible when the unit is installed in the rack may require some form of slide assembly so that the unit can be withdrawn from the rack to expose the service faces. Typically, a pair of outer slides is installed on vertical rails on the interior sides of the rack, and a pair of complementary inner slides is installed on the exterior sides of the component. As the component is advanced in the rack, the inner slides on the component engage the outer slides on the rack such that the component is supported on the slide assemblies.
To facilitate service for systems on rack slides, and to minimize interruption of service when replacing hot-swappable modules, some systems include a cable management arm. The cable management arm may be a link or combination of links attached to one or both of a rack and a component, typically to the rear of the component. The cable management arm may support cables connecting the component to external systems and maintain the cables in a desired position as the component is moved into and out of a serviceable position on the slide assemblies.
In many cases, the end links of the arm are attached to the rack and component on one side of the rack. The weight of the cable management arm and cables attached to the arm thus creates a cantilevered load on the attachment hardware, which in turn must be carried by the adjacent component and/or rack structure. In some systems, the cable management arm may sag under the weight of the arm and the cables. In addition, the attachment structure for the links (e.g., mounting brackets) may be prone to failure when external loads such as vibration and shock are encountered during shipping or operation.
To reduce attachment loads of a cantilevered cable management arm, some systems include a fixed, rack-mounted support for the free end of the arm. However, is some fixed supports only engage when the arm is in certain positions (e.g., when the arm is in a closed position against the component). Moreover, such supports may in some instances cause binding of the linkage during insertion or removal of the component from the rack. In other systems, one end of an arm is attached to the rack on one side of the rack (e.g., the left side of the rack) and the other end of the arm is attached to component on the other side (e.g., the right side of the rack). While this arrangement may reduce loads on the hardware supporting the arm, it may impair access to modules on the rear panel of the component.